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Joost de Laat of the Centre for Global Challenges conducts research on how to ensure equal opportunities in education for all children, especially in low- and middle income countries. As a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of children in the world are at home now, raising new questions, and also leading to new insights.

While in the Netherlands the schools are now reopening, most children in the world are not so lucky yet. The that schools are still closed in 150 countries in the world, particularly the poorer countries, resulting in 1.2 billion children still at home. Inequalities in education as a result of Covid-19 are not only across countries. In rich countries like the Netherlands, home-schooling became a greater challenge for children from underprivileged backgrounds. For example, lacking access to laptops, or because some parents may find it more difficult to support them in their school work.

Disadvantaged children in poor countries face even greater challenges according to de Laat, Professor of Global Economic Challenges. Take Kenya, where he does research: many children lack access to electricity, let alone computers to follow lessons online. But also a shortage of basic school supplies like exercise books. Covid-19 compounds existing challenges in education.

What were the challenges?

I'm now doing research at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��, and before that at the World Bank, on improving learning outcomes in low and middle-income countries. In recent years, there has been a large increase in school enrolment, at least in primary, with enrolment now getting close to universal in many countries. But many education participation challenges remain, for example in pre-school education, which is very important to ensure an equal start for underprivileged children.

In Bulgaria, I have been part of a team investigating how to close the gap in preschool education between poor children, Roma minority children especially, and other Bulgarian children. We implemented a field experiment in 236 communities, trying out different policy options, together with the Ministry of Education and a local foundation. Results of that study have directly informed and influenced an amendment of the law in Bulgaria this year,  which calls for the removal of kindergarten fees for all poor children. A fantastic result. In addition, a central issue now in many countries is to improve the quality of education.’

What exactly do you mean by quality?

‘That children don't just go to school, but actually learn. To us that may seem obvious, but research has shown that in many countries, especially poor countries, but also many disadvantaged children in rich countries such as the Netherlands, learning results often lag behind. If you look, for example, in many African countries, many children at the end of primary school still lack basic skills in reading, and especially math.’

What's the impact of those kids sitting at home right now?

'That's a huge challenge because so many lack access to basic learning resources. In addition, with children at home, parents must now play a much greater role, many of whom lack solid literacy and math skills themselves. In Kenya, as in other countries, the government is now trying to teach via radio and television, but you can imagine the challenges when so many children grow up in families lacking reliable electricity. Some NGOs also try to provide children with learning materials like exercise books. From the Centre we work together with  Bridge International Academies, among others, which operates schools in countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. Bridge is calling parents whose children are at home to provide advice and teaching materials, so that they can keep going a bit.’

Are there any insights from the research you're doing that could help?

'COVID-19 is a crisis situation but also an opportunity to learn. We know from much research that the learning outcomes of children everywhere do not only depend on the school they attend, but also on the social environment they come from. The involvement and support of parents is an important factor. With the sudden school closures, we have never in history had such a large experiment in which parents are asked at once to be involved in school. Which parents in low- and middle income countries are able to support their children well in home-schooling, and which are not able to?

With Innovations for Poverty Action, we are currently exploring if we can support them in a survey of 1300 parents in Kenya, and inform the government within a very short period which children are being reached by the radio and television materials, and which ones are not. And within our field experiments, which are now at a standstill by the way, we have also been exploring whether children benefit from the school contacting parents, for example via weekly SMS messages. When the schools reopen, we hope to better understand how schools can best keep low literate parents involved'.

Are you getting new insights now that as a father you teach at home yourself?

‘Yes! As father of two daughters of 6 and 8, I notice how important it is as a parent to get instructions from school. There's a lot on offer, and it's hard to find your way around. So I find it useful when school keeps the instructions simple for parents. I also notice how important it is that as a parent you feel 'ownership' for the results of your children. Through home-schooling these past 2-3 months, I've only now really discovered what my children do and learn every day at school. Especially young children are not so talkative about it.

The fact that I now know what they are doing at school helps me to be much more involved and supportive as a parent to my daughters learning. A research question for me is to what extent this also applies to other parents and especially to other parents in poor countries. As a father I now have a very busy schedule, but as a researcher I find this situation inspiring and I get all kinds of ideas for the research we are going to do next. Now that the schools in the Netherlands are opening , I hope to have time for that again.’